Solar Panels...

[Forkin Marvellous]

Call me nuts and section me now if you like but I though I'd ask the question.

My allotment, like many other allotments across the country doesn't have electricity which got me thinking seeing as it's the most convenient place to start off all my seeds.

Has anyone ever seen/heard of a solar panel power system that could power a heated propagator or something similar? And likewise in the summer perhaps it could power a small fan to assist ventilation....

Nuts? Or is there a market for such an item?

[arpoet]

To be honest, on most sites Solar panels would be nicked within hours. When I had my lottie I started all seeds off at home and only took plants down when ready for planting. I did try a solar power light in the shed but it was total waste of time and money as the light was insufficient for doing any sort of work.

[skeggijon]

I've got a solar powered light in my shed, which I have to say is pretty good - gives equivalent of, probably a 60 watt bulb

[Bigmallly]

A similar thread arose last month:


http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...eas_80454.html

[dim]

I have a client who installs solar panels ... he showed me a new small solar panel (perhaps 3 foot long and 2 foot wide), that charges a large lorry battery .... from there, you then connect to whatever you need, and he says it's new and very cheap

here is his website:

Solar Installers in Cambridge, UK

[starloc]

I am just looking into this for heaters for plants, and growlights, heaters use a lot of power

Running lights is easy from solar as low amp ones are easy to get these days

I have been using nothing but solar power for everything in the house with no problems this summer, I know I need more power though, and a wind generator for dark months

Using a heated propagator running off 240v would need to be through an inverter and will waste power and a battery will not last long enough

you need to use far less than you put into the battery by the panel

The lowest cost that would probably work is this

For about £100 to £130 pounds you can get a 100W solar panel, 10A solar controller and wires from ebay, you need to add a leisure battery to this at about £80 from Halfords or similar

To run a 240v propagator off it will waste a lot of power so use a standard propagator with no heater and use a 12v pet bed heater as the heat source

They use 4 to 10 watts

amps= watts/volts

5w at 12v = .5 Ah

battery holds 118 Ah , you don't want to empty it before it charges and don't want to go below 50% of the battery

heater will run for .5 amps per hour , divide the amps in the battery by the number used per hour and these 12v pet bed heater/battery will safely run something like 110 hours with no charge going in

add the solar panel and it will probably run continuously with no problems at a 5w heater 12v even in the winter.....depends on light levels but should be fine , spring / summer should run fine

less power needed if its just on during the day though, most timers use very little

Its a lot of cost though for a propagator , its probably better to just charge the battery at home and run the pet bed heater in the propagator for heat

[rary]

Could I make the suggestion that you check how a wind generator would compare for cost and production of power, as it would give power at night when you require lights etc.

[Forkin Marvellous]

I have been starting off most seeds at home (frost sensitive plants anyway) it's just that we live in a small flat and have just got two new kittens and next year I can't see that being a viable option with two nutty kit kats running around!!

Security would be an issue but I was hoping to place it near my greenhouse, the thieves on our plots tend to stick to the sheds and ignore the greenhouses/crop (touch wood!!)

The solar powered light might be an idea... Where did you buy it skeggijon? What is the actual wattage of the bulb?

I will have a look at this lorry battery job. Thanks dim!

Very detailed stuff there starloc thanks for explaining, I doubt I would get away with spending all that money!! The missus would kill me!! I will see though, it could be a future endeavor...

[Alison]

The main problem I'd gave with starting things like this at the lottie would be getting there to check on them, I like to keep them nice and close so I can be a neurotic parent